A struggle getting out
3 watchers
Oct 2017
11:36am, 19 Oct 2017
17,733 posts
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DeeGee
Morning folks, I'm on a bit of a downward slope at the minute, want to go out and run, but really struggling to find the time or motivation. At the minute I feel that I'm almost back at square one. A bit of background for those who don't know me, I used to run at a fair little clip, not super-fast, but 5k PB of 18.47, HM PB of 1:27. After a couple of abortive attempts at GFA I decided that I was never likely to be quick enough for that, but liked the marathon distance, so ran more long stuff. Up until our daughter was born that was fine, but that year, having run 75, I decided to only concentrate on 100 and then take a break. That break began in November last year. And I've taken a break, in which time I've got a new job which I find more rewarding but more intellectually draining, my wife's gone back to work and is struggling, even on two days a week as a teacher, as she also has something as yet undiagnosed which is making her ill and tired. I'm enjoying being round my kids, but I'm also conscious that I'm quite rapidly sliding towards the body-shape, if not level of fitness, that I was at in 2007 before I started running. And I enjoy the idea of running, and want to be able to race again, and even, still, want to be able to run the odd longer race a couple of times a year. I'm getting to parkrun, but that's one "out" a week, but one of those every month is with our 7 year old, so not a session, and one with the 18 month old in the buggy, which is good for strength but not speed. So my last parkrun time was 32 minutes. I can't put up with those figures. I don't want to enter races right now, as I know I'll be devastated with my times. I can't do running club as I need to help at home on those nights, and they are the same days that my wife works, so a run-commute isn't viable as I need to help get the kids ready for childcare. I can't commute one way as I've no way to get home the other way without it taking an hour on the bus and I really don't feel fit enough to do 10 mile commute days. I just want to get my general fitness up to the level it should be at, but I just can't find time to balance everything. I'm physically knackered, and when I'm not, I really don't fancy running at 9pm when the washing up is done. But is that my only option? Or am I just making excuses? How do the rest of you with busy lives fit it in? |
Oct 2017
11:41am, 19 Oct 2017
7,472 posts
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becca7
Firstly, I hope that the Mrs's health improves and if running has to take a back seat while that's going on it's understandable. However running at 9pm a couple of days a week isn't so bad, if that's when you have time for it, and if you can get into doing that regularly (plus watching nutrition) you will feel less knackered.
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Oct 2017
11:51am, 19 Oct 2017
279 posts
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Claypole
Hey DeeGee I don't think you're making excuses, your post reads as one full of priorities - i.e work and kids. My wife and I have 2 young ish kids (7 and 9) and its only been in the last 2-3 yrs that I have had the energy to run regularly (normally commuting) When our youngest was 18 months I ran very little - I used to try and do 1 or 2 miles whenever I could. Sometimes this was at the oddest times - running errands or disguised as a walk with the buggy! I did strength stuff say while cooking tea or breakfast to keep in shape when I couldn't get out of the house for a run. Is lunchtime at work a possibility for running? I have no shower at work so take a flannel and towel into the gents to wash instead:-) Reckon your running shape will come back in time. Best of luck with it all |
Oct 2017
11:53am, 19 Oct 2017
7,990 posts
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Little Nemo
Could you run at lunchtimes? Or get up really early and run before work? I found it much easier to fit stuff in earlier as I was always finding reasons not to do stuff after work. Good luck! |
Oct 2017
11:58am, 19 Oct 2017
37,836 posts
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Fierce and Fearless Fleecy
Lunchtime runs? Exercise does help with stress and knackeredness, as I’m sure you know! Could you cycle commute? 10 miles round trip on a bike is a decent workout but not too time-consuming. And run before the washing up, not afterwards, the dirty dishes are going nowhere. I’ve run loops round my house whilst cooking dinner before, if you really want to run then you *can* do it, but you’ll just have to accept that it will look different from how it used to before life stuff happened. Ignore speed and just focus on a mileage target for the rest of the year? Without a decent base you won’t be breaking any PBs anyway... (and give yourself a break, it’s too easy to compare yourself with previous DeeGee: focus on current and future DeeGee) |
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Oct 2017
12:24pm, 19 Oct 2017
17,734 posts
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DeeGee
I love the idea of a lunchtime run, but my office culture would frown upon it, I fear.
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Oct 2017
1:14pm, 19 Oct 2017
37,839 posts
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Fierce and Fearless Fleecy
Wow really? That’s an odd kind of culture...Find some other runners at work and change that culture with a work running group!
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Oct 2017
2:41pm, 19 Oct 2017
17,735 posts
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DeeGee
I don't think I've ever met another school leader who has that sort of lunch break available to them 
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Oct 2017
3:22pm, 19 Oct 2017
37,841 posts
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Fierce and Fearless Fleecy
Ah ok point taken! I thought you worked in an office Start the Daily Mile in your school? 5 miles a week and the kids get healthier too, boom! thedailymile.co.uk |
Oct 2017
3:48pm, 19 Oct 2017
1,979 posts
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jdarun
Bike commute for starters. Assuming I've read it right, 5 miles each way is on the easy side of ideal and won't take much time (if any) out of your day.
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